1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments are directed in general to the field of solar energy, but also include photovoltaic and fiber optics. Embodiments are directed in particular to a compact solar module apparatus and a method of producing electricity using such an apparatus.
2. Background of the Invention
Historically solar panels and solar tiles are installed on rooftops and are wired to invertors and batteries for storing the converted light energy into electricity. In existing art, a Solar Panel comprising an array of photovoltaic cells (crystalline or plastic film) is installed on a rigid surface, which is then encased in a rigid metal frame and covered by a glass plate. This arrangement is hermetically sealed to protect the cells from moisture and dust. Sun Rays transmitted through the glass cover are incident onto the PV cells; the excited atom in the cells generate electricity, which are stored in rechargeable batteries for conversion to AC power for any planned applications. Power generated from PV cells is limited by surface area of the rooftops. Known solar panels/tiles can provide, at most, 50% of a home's electric need.
Previous methods and apparatuses have been employed for producing electricity in the home. U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,830 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a solar cell roof structure, a photovoltaic power generating apparatus, a building and a method of construction of a solar cell roof, in which a solar cell module is provided above a roof base of a building. An electrical wire for the solar cell module is provided in a space between the solar cell module and the roof base, and the electrical wire extends into a space at the back of the roof base through a through hole provided in the roof base. A base sealing member on the roof base is provided for covering the through hole and an exit is provided in the base sealing member through which the electrical wire extends into the space between the solar cell module and the roof base at a portion of the base sealing member other than a portion just over the through hole of the base sealing member. The base-sealing member can include a heat-resisting or fire resistive material on the roof base for covering the through hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,507 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a plurality of elongated rails, each of which has a lower base and an upper cap of an extruded resin construction defining a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other to receive edges of rectangular photovoltaic modules so as to provide mounting thereof on a support surface. The photovoltaic modules are arranged in pairs with the modules of each pair abutting each other and with each pair of modules being spaced along the elongated lengths of the rails from each adjacent pair of modules to provide openings there between. Cross members extend between the lower bases of the rails to space the rails from each other and have upwardly opening shapes that receive electrical wiring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,949 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a concentrating photovoltaic module that provides a concentration in the range of about 500 to over 1,000 suns and a power range of a few kW to 50 kW. A plurality of such modules may be combined to form a power plant capable of generating over several hundred megawatts. The concentrating photovoltaic module is based on a Photovoltaic Cavity Converter (“PVCC”) for very high solar-to-electricity conversions. The use of a cavity containing a plurality of single junction solar cells of different energy band gaps and simultaneous spectral splitting of the solar spectrum employs a lateral geometry in the spherical cavity (where the cell strings made of the single junction cells operate next to each other without mutual interference). The purpose of the cavity with a small aperture for the pre-focused solar radiation is to confine or trap the photons so that they can be recycled effectively and used by the proper cells. Passive or active cooling mechanisms may be employed to cool the solar cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,555 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, comprises a plurality of solar cells interconnected in series and/or parallel, one positive terminal, and one negative terminal, wherein at least a part of an electric line is not housed in an insulating envelope. The line is grounded at an electrical middle point between the positive and negative terminals or a point on the side of the negative terminal with respect to the electrical middle point, whereby an environmental resistant coating significantly responsible for a cost of a solar cell module and an insulating coating of a member for interconnecting solar cells in series and/or parallel can be simplified, and safety of an exposed electric line resulting from the simplification of the environmental resistant coating and the insulating coating can be improved.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,045 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to a solar photovoltaic array module design, which constitutes three steps of optical concentrations of photovoltaic electric power generation systems. A compound parabolic concentrator (“CPC”) is mounted under a first optical concentrating fresnel lens that concentrates the intensity of sunlight to five times above normal level. The focused sunlight is further concentrated twenty times by the second optical concentrator CPC. The high mirror quality of CPC allows 98% of the reflected rays to be focused at the bottom of the CPC. At this point, the intensified sunlight passes through a third optical concentrator glass lens, which with anti-reflection coating on the top of the glass lens' surface, incident on the multi-junction solar cell accomplish the third optical concentration for the photovoltaic electric energy conversion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,840 B2, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to a concentrating photovoltaic module comprising: a lightguide member having at least one exit face and a plurality of entrance faces; and at least one solar cell placed immediately after the exit face of the lightguide member; wherein the lightguide member is comprised of a light transmissive, solid medium having no refractive-index-discontinuity portion and a surface of the lightguide member is smooth. The lightguide member makes sunbeams incident on the plurality of entrance faces, totally reflected on side faces, and emergent from the exit face, whereby the sunbeams can be concentrated on the solar cell with high efficiency.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0034752 published Feb. 17, 2005, and Publication No. 2005/0034751 published Feb. 17, 2005 and an article titled “A Wall of Mirrors”, Fortune Small Business, February 2005, pp. 40-41 disclose an apparatus for increasing or concentrating the amount of sunlight that strikes the solar cells. The disclosed apparatus uses a tracking heliostat array of optical elements (i.e., mirrors) to concentrate the light prior to its striking the cells.
PCT/US2005/033720 Application filed Sep. 20, 2005, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/614,173 filed Sep. 29, 2004, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a method and apparatus by which compact solar modules may be fabricated and sunrays transmitted through a set of light-guides to the cells placed in remote location of a house.